1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to cranes or lifts. More particularly, the present invention relates to portable and towable cranes or lifts that are capable of safely lifting thousands of pounds and/or telescoping to distances approaching or beyond 30 feet at angles of between substantially horizontal to almost vertical while also being capable of compact storage for towing. Specifically, the present invention is a portable and towable lift mechanism having a telescopic and angularly adjustable load carrying boom, four telescopic support legs with pivotable wheels thereon, and a low center of gravity frame of a two part construction pivotally connected together and having a tilt indicator warning thereon.
2. Background Information
For hundreds of years, people have needed and/or desired to lift or move heavy or bulky objects. More particularly, people have needed and/or desired to vertically or substantially vertically lift heavy or bulky objects up into the air, to suspend heavy or bulky objects angularly outward and at least slightly in the air, or to both lift and suspend the object. Often these needs occur for one of two reasons, a bulky and/or heavy object either (1) needs lifted into the air for a temporary time or to be placed on a surface or suspended from a frame in the air, or (2) needs lifted over an obstacle and set down on the other side.
Current technology includes large relatively or completely immobile cranes. These cranes are generally used on construction sites where the crane is transported via trailer by large trucks such as tractor-trailers. These large cranes are expensive to own or rent, not portable or hard and time consuming to move, not towable as trailering is typically necessary, not readily transported to remote sites, not easily positioned as needed in tight spots (often not possible), etc.
Alternatively, many manufacturers of cranes, lifts, and hoists have attempted to downsize this large crane technology to a smaller, more affordable, and user friendly lift. The result is often an unstable, dangerous, and otherwise undesirable lift that includes an insufficient frame for supporting substantial loads. Theses small lifts are often sufficient for small jobs such as lifting car engines weighing several hundred pounds, but are generally not capable of lifting substantial weights of approaching if not exceeding a thousand pounds, if not more. These booms often are inferior and hard to use, and may be capable of lifting only a small weight safely. Finally, these lifts either have fixed booms or extendible booms of only a small distance such as a few feet upwards to approximately ten feet.